Opticians

[Dominic]

A pair of slippers would solve half the problem.

[JimX]

Deleted

[WHL]

A pair of slippers would solve half the problem.

[Dominic]

I meant the cold feet.

[Dominic]

Only recounting pre-2004 memories, Lloyd, as compared to 2004 (EU onwards). Before 2004, I used to buy genuine Danish ecco Classic slip on shoes in Evans up in the old town for me and my Dad for around CY£40 a pair, about half the UK price.

In 2004, they were no longer in stock, and the lady told me why. The shoe assembly factory in Limmasol was now closed and many jobs were lost, on account of new EU legislation.

Similarly, my Luton friends Chris and Sue always had nice new specs done when in Paphos each year. But not after 2004, when they said that prices sky-rocketed, and it was cheaper to buy in UK.

I don't have the data, but I believe the the pre-EU tariffs on complete imported shoes and specs were around 100%, compared to 5% for part-assembled goods that necessitated local labour to finish. If you don't believe me, just tell me how much an imported pair of Clarks or ecco shoes now cost in Paphos. €100 or more?

AL

Surely if they were assembled in Cyprus they weren't genuine Danish shoes? You were basically buying snides.

[Kili01]

I was told by the owner of a shoe shop in Paphos that he no longer stocks ECCO shoes because they are now made in China and are made differently from how they used to be. Apparently they don’t wear the way they used to and he had complaints from customers about the fit.He now stocks a differen make of shoe whose brand currently escapes me... will check when I get home.

Dee

[PaphosAL]

Surely if they were assembled in Cyprus they weren't genuine Danish shoes? You were basically buying snides.

They definately were genuine Danish ecco (and English Clarks) shoes, Dominic. The difference was, that pre-2004, the shoes were imported in two halves, the soles and the uppers. The local factory in Lemasos then used local labour to glue the two halves together, box them up, then distribute them to all the Evans branches on the island.

AL

[Dominic]

But they weren't genuine Clarks shoes. They were genuine Clarks soles and uppers. Besides, it sounds like it was a tax dodge, which though understandable, doesn't help the country any.

[Varky]

I was told by the owner of a shoe shop in Paphos that he no longer stocks ECCO shoes because they are now made in China and are made differently from how they used to be. Apparently they don’t wear the way they used to and he had complaints from customers about the fit.He now stocks a differen make of shoe whose brand currently escapes me... will check when I get home.
Dee

We used to go to a shop in the tourist area of the old town in Limassol to buy ECCO shoes but on our last visit we were told something along the same lines as quoted above. Luckily the shop also sold Mephisto shoes so it wasn't a totally wasted journey.

[Mike J]

Amazing, in under two pages some advice on the purchase of glasses has drifted through a bit of HIC Remain/Brexit, the hours people sleep, prostate problems, to finally beach on the sand of ECCO shoes !
Back to glasses, I do remember on my first visit to Limassol in 2000 being asked by the friends living here if before arrival I wanted to book an optician appointment and a dentist appointment as both were far cheaper than in the UK. I was buying glasses then on visits to the Malaysia and so Cyprus was in comparison incredibly expensive. Now Specsavers UK is cheaper than Malaysia and Thailand as the poor old UK pound has failed to keep pace with Far Eastern inflation as well as a continual lowering of prices in the UK with aggressive 2 for 1 offers following the entry of giants like Boots and Tesco into the arena. The huge growth of large worldwide online opticians like https://www.goggles4u.co.uk. ( with International delivery) has further driven prices down.
Little Cyprus with its independent family run opticians cannot compete and with a local population of mainly cash only customers probably , for the time being, doesn't need to.
But on Danish slip on loafers I know little to nothing, though I do enjoy 7 hours sleep a night. However I am unable to take Dom's advice as my dear one refuses to allow me to put the light on to find my slippers at 4 in the morning ! Cheers Mike

[WHL]

Amazing, in under two pages some advice on the purchase of glasses has drifted through a bit of HIC Remain/Brexit, the hours people sleep, prostate problems, to finally beach on the sand of ECCO shoes !
Back to glasses, I do remember on my first visit to Limassol in 2000 being asked by the friends living here if before arrival I wanted to book an optician appointment and a dentist appointment as both were far cheaper than in the UK. I was buying glasses then on visits to the Malaysia and so Cyprus was in comparison incredibly expensive. Now Specsavers UK is cheaper than Malaysia and Thailand as the poor old UK pound has failed to keep pace with Far Eastern inflation as well as a continual lowering of prices in the UK with aggressive 2 for 1 offers following the entry of giants like Boots and Tesco into the arena. The huge growth of large worldwide online opticians like https://www.goggles4u.co.uk. ( with International delivery) has further driven prices down.
Little Cyprus with its independent family run opticians cannot compete and with a local population of mainly cash only customers probably , for the time being, doesn't need to.
But on Danish slip on loafers I know little to nothing, though I do enjoy 7 hours sleep a night. However I am unable to take Dom's advice as my dear one refuses to allow me to put the light on to find my slippers at 4 in the morning ! Cheers Mike

Good post, just to add I think dentists are still cheaper here then the UK.

[Poppy]

I find it difficult to compare dental prices as I was lucky enough to get on the NHS list of my local dentist but I have to say that I doubt anywhere could compare pricewise with Dr Lenia in Paphos who as far as I am aware has not put up her prices in at least 6 years and still charged €20 for check up and clean and polish last time I went in Jan 2017

[Dominic]

I find it difficult to compare dental prices as I was lucky enough to get on the NHS list of my local dentist but I have to say that I doubt anywhere could compare pricewise with Dr Lenia in Paphos who as far as I am aware has not put up her prices in at least 6 years and still charged €20 for check up and clean and polish last time I went in Jan 2017

Checkups are free. The clean and polish is €20.

[cyprusmax47]

and the gluten-free bakery is just below her... ( only a little bit off topic though )

Max

[galexinda]

I find it difficult to compare dental prices as I was lucky enough to get on the NHS list of my local dentist but I have to say that I doubt anywhere could compare pricewise with Dr Lenia in Paphos who as far as I am aware has not put up her prices in at least 6 years and still charged €20 for check up and clean and polish last time I went in Jan 2017

Checkups are free. The clean and polish is €20.

Plus you have free parking in the car park up the road which normally costs €1.00. Last time I was walking back I noticed some cars parked on the road had parking tickets and they weren't on yellow lines, facing the wrong direction or causing an obstruction.

[trevnhil]

Unfortunately even one of the opticians recommended on here can make mistakes.. My wife went to one complaining of problems with her eyesight. She had a full examination and the lady optician told her there was nothing wrong it was just 'floaters'.
She was not happy with that diagnosis and I took her to see Dr Maria at the Iasis... She found two tears (rips) in the Back of her Retina. I had to take my wife to Limassol that afternoon for urgent Laser treatment...

We now both use 'Eye Contact' on TOTK road, and are well satisfied..

[Lofos-5]

We now both use 'Eye Contact' on TOTK road, and are well satisfied..

So do we, and we even met Trev there by chance once

A.

[JimX]

Eye Contact, excellent business, thanks to Trevs recommendation.

[JimX]

Oddly have had this same problem over the years, with several of those opticians mentioned further above, we all make mistakes even the best opticians too, but as long as they put things right at no charge to you, then these are the ones to use.

[galexinda]

One optician mentioned here told me to be very very careful and to double check before I made a right hand turn when driving. Petrified me as I thought there was something terribly wrong with my eyesight but no other optician had ever given me this dire warning and Dr Tassos Georgiou (Blue Cross) didn't find anything untoward! Another asked me to choose my frames before I had the eye test which I didn't do and in any case would have been a waste of time as I didn't need a new prescription.